


late nights

by jimylk



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Hongjoong is whipped, Hurt/Comfort, Insomnia, M/M, but what else is new, major stress, mingi is dumb, soft angst, they both just a couple of cuties
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-28
Updated: 2020-01-28
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:07:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 11,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22445320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jimylk/pseuds/jimylk
Summary: a troubled online college student song mingi found himself walking into a cafe at two am. despite the scenery and homey feel, it wasn't the most comforting thing he would find that late night.
Relationships: Kim Hongjoong/Song Mingi
Comments: 4
Kudos: 63





	1. Chapter 1

mingi closed his laptop grinning as he submitted his finale essay. he leaned back in his chair, a little tired, he couldn't lie but that was because it was 2 am and he had been working on it since 8:30 after dinner. he took his glasses off and placed them on his desk while he shut off the lamp and blew out his scented candle that san had bought him. he was proud for a minute and almost fell asleep right there at his desk but his mind awoke when he realized he still had 700 words to write on his other report. he groaned in agony and ran a hand down his face. there was no way if he sat there any longer than he had, that he would finish. 

he looked down at his black t-shirt and gray sweatpants, he stood up and grabbed one of his hoodies that was tossed on his floor somewhere. it was a plane black hoodie but the left sleeve was red, and he realized that due to writing for hours he was beginning to narrate himself in his head. so he shook his head realizing the lack of sleep was getting to him. he slipped on some sneakers put his glasses on and grabbed his keys and laptop and headed to the door.

\- - -

at 2 am mingi wasn't thinking and it wasn't until he was walking around almost empty streets that he realized no where would be open. he kicked a pebble down the sidewalk, his hood was pulled up over his brown hair and his laptop tucked under his arm. he kicked the pebble again and it was flung away from him he watched it stop by a door and he looked up to the sign for a cafe. shrugging he noticed the light on so he stepped inside. 

the cafe smelled of coffee with a hint of baking bread. it was calming, made him feel... _homey._ there was only two lamps on but a few of the tables had a candle lit. mingi looked at the counter and no one was there so he thought about turning around and leaving the calming place. 

_"can i help you?"_

mingi look back to the counter but this time there was another male standing behind it. his hair was a vibrant red and long enough to frame his soft face. mingi had to snap himself out of his daydream so he could answer. "oh uh, just looking for somewhere to sit down i guess." the taller shrugged and removed the hood from his head. the other gave him a quizzical look and quirked his head to the side in questioning. _"at this hour?"_ mingi opened his mouth to say something but closed it when he realized he had nothing to say. the smaller smirked and gestured to an open table. all the blinds were closed but that gave mingi more of a sense of comfort because the cafe was only lit by candle light and soft lamps, it was the most peaceful and stress free he had felt in a while. he placed his laptop on the table and turned the screen brightness down not wanting to get a headache. 

his finger's hovered over the keys and he sighed realizing nothing was coming to him. _"here"_ mingi looked up from the laptop to see the red haired male from before but this time he had a cup of coffee in his hand. _"thought you could use it"_ the red haired boy placed the cup on the table. mingi noticed the lack of apron meaning the other wasn't meant to be working. he was going to comment but the other didn't give him a chance. _"you seem like something's bothering you"_ mingi looked at his laptop and then the drink, he took a sip of the drink and was greeted with a sweet taste. "what is it?" _"just something special i whipped up"_ the red haired boy gave him a wink and a smile. mingi looked down at his lap hiding his blush, he took another sip of the drink trying to figure out what it was. 

he tasted caramel, but an after taste of something else sweet but he couldn't put his finger on it. nonetheless it was delicious and woke him up a bit. _"so what's wrong you seem troubled, and by the looks of it,something to do with what's on that laptop."_ the taller sighed and removed his glasses to rub his eyes. to mingi's surprise the other sat down across from him. "well, i have this report, i'm in an online college and it's for one of my classes. i need 700 more words and i just...can't"

hongjoong gave him a small smile before asking to see the laptop. mingi pushed it to him allowing him to take a look. the older scrolled through the report, rather, the small portion of it. _"so it's about...what exactly?"_ "that's the thing! it has to be about something i understand and..." mingi trailed off trying to find the words to describe it. _"and you don't have the brain capacity to finish it"_ the two laughed and mingi sipped the coffee again. "i mean...yeah pretty much" _"don't get yourself down, you'll think of something"_ mingi sighed thankful to have the other there. "oh i'm mingi by the way, song mingi" the taller gave him a smile and it only grew when the other smiled back. _"i'm hongjoong"_

_**༶•┈┈┈┈┈┈୨♡୧┈┈┈┈┈•༶** _


	2. chapter 2

mingi tossed and he turned but no matter what he did he couldn't get to sleep. his sleep schedule was terrible and the insomnia didn't help. he stayed up all night usually maybe passing out here and there for a few minutes. but during the day he couldn't help it, he would just...fall asleep for maybe an hour or two. it was terrible on his body and his mind was exhausted. not to mention recently deleted the 300 words he had on his report. he had a month to do it, though it seemed like plenty of time, to mingi it was like learning a new language in a week. 

and that's how mingi found himself slipping on his sneakers and grabbing a random book to use an excuse. 

thankfully the lamps inside were still on signaling that hongjoong was still there. he pushed the door open gently but didn't see hongjoong behind the counter. mingi pulled his hood down and ruffled his bed hair. _"well at least it's not two am"_ the older giggled when mingi jumped clearly not expecting him to speak. _"sorry didn't mean to startle you. go ahead and sit down"_ mingi went back over to the table from last night. he placed his book on the table and opened it holding it up in front of him. he heard the sound of a coffee machine and removed his gaze from the pages and peeked over at where hongjoong was working. 

the older was wearing a black long sleeved shirt, however he rolled up the sleeves as he made the coffee. mingi swallowed a lump in his throat and quickly glanced down at his book when hongjoong changed positions to grab a cup. mingi peeked up again and watched hongjoong keep working on the coffee. he found himself blushing and looked down at his book when hongjoong switched positions behind the counter. he took a breath before looking up again but almost screamed when he saw hongjoong leaning against the counter his head propped up by his hand looking right at him with a knowing smirk. the taller coughed and looked down at his book shyly realizing how creepy he probably seemed to the other. 

_"you good?"_ "oh uh yeah...why?" _"because you're holding the book upside down"_ mingi looked down at the page and mentally face palmed for being so idiotic. he snapped the book shut giving up and pushed it away with his lips pressed tight. hongjoong only laughed, but not _at_ him. _" here you seem stressed"_ hongjoong placed the coffee on the table and sat across from him like he did just last night, technically morning since it was two am when the encounter happened. "yeah if i could sleep i might be able to think straight" _"well why don't you?"_ "i can't...i don't know what it is, like insomnia maybe. but the thing is, is that i'm tired i want to sleep but no matter what i try i just can't. i don't know" the younger trailed off starting to worry again.

_"not to sound like a basic, aha i work at a cafe type, but...tea...it could help"_ the two let out a few short laughs and mingi sighed. "i've tried everything, the doctor was no help either...i don't know what caused it." _"stress?"_ hongjoong suggested shrugging. the two stayed silent as hongjoong gazed worryingly at the younger who was deep in thought. the older got up quickly and disappeared into the back room that was blocked by a black curtain. he returned soon after and sat back down but made his presence known when he placed the plate down on the table startling the younger. "you gotta stop doing that" _"i'll try"_ hongjoong pushed the plate towards the other and a fork. mingi looked down and felt a small appreciative smile grow on his lips. "cheesecake? that's my favorite, how did you guess, some kinda witchcraft or something" the younger laughed at himself and grabbed the fork. _"maybe, but it's my favorite to, had a hunch that you might have good taste"_

hongjoong couldn't help but smile as the other ate the dessert happily. _"how's your report coming?"_ mingi momentarily stopped chewing, his cheeks full of cheesecake. he swallowed and shook his head sadly. "i deleted what i had. none of it made sense and there was nothing to go off of. i had no argument, it has to be a topic that means something to me..." _"something will come up, i'm sure of it."_ "thank's hongjoong" mingi took the last bite of his cheesecake and sighed. 

"hongjoong?" _"yeah"_ "why the heck are you here so late? yesterday it was 2 am" mingi looked expectantly at the other. hongjoong had stayed late yesterday because a few things in the back needed to be cleaned up and someone broke a shelf in the fridge so he took the time to fix it. usually the cafe closes at 9:30 and hongjoong had the last closing shift. but he stayed tonight because he had a hunch mingi would be back again. which, there he is sitting in front of him so hongjoong's confidence in his **gut feeling** is starting to grow and he noted to trust it more. _"i have the closing shift and i make sure to clean up before i leave"_ not thinking anything else about it mingi nodded seeing it reasonable. hongjoong seemed responsible so him staying and working over time seemed reasonable. 

"well i'm glad you do..." the two shared a smile and mingi sipped the secret coffee drink that hongjoong whipped up. 

_**༶•┈┈┈┈┈┈୨♡୧┈┈┈┈┈•༶** _


	3. chapter 3

the fifth night mingi came into the cafe it was around twelve fifteen and hongjoong was drying off some now clean mugs. the younger had brought his laptop and was staring, or rather glaring, at the screen. the older had a fond smile playing at his lips while he watched the other think. mingi would chew at his lips, and his cheeks would puff out while he glared quizzically at the screen, almost like he was expecting the words to type themselves for him. hongjoong wouldn't lie to himself that he had grown quite fond of the other, and stayed specifically so he could keep the taller company while he stressed. 

the older didn't pry too much on the other's personal life because beside the fact that he couldn't sleep, and was struggling with a paper he still about three weeks to do, he seemed alright and his smile seemed to light up the rest of the dim cafe. the dark haired boy was clumsy, and silly, stressed but still a ball of sunshine and hongjoong felt more fond of him every time they met. this time he had a plan and made mingi, the _special coffee_ per usual and got himself just a regular black coffee and cut them both a slice of cheesecake. 

he placed them on the coffee table in front of the love seat that was in the back corner facing a small electric fire place near the back. either mingi never noticed the much more comfortable seating area or he just preferred to sit in a stiff wooden chair that was probably going to give his back a terrible pain. hongjoong walked over to where the other sat at his usual table and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. if mingi wasn't so zoned in on staring at his blank document he would have been startled and jumped but he didn't seem to notice the other there. _"mingi"_ the older's tone was soft and caring as he spoke. "mhm" mingi nodded his head clearly unaware of much that was going on, all he seemed to register was that hongjoong was speaking to him. 

the older couldn't suppress the small giggle that left his lips. _"mingi i made coffee and cheesecake and i turned the fireplace on it's starting to get cold and that hoodie of yours isn't going to cut it."_ the younger seemed to come into reality and he let out a small laugh. "yeah...wait did you say fireplace!?" mingi turned around to face the other confusion written on his face. hongjoong nodded to the direction of the cozy set up that had always been there and he laughed again when the taller groaned. "am i really that unobservant...don't answer that"

the two were seated at opposite ends of the couch with a blanket thrown over them both. mingi's laptop was on his lap and hongjoong played with a rubber band attempting to form some sort of a beat but finally just sling shotted it to somewhere in the room. _"okay um so no art...ya like sports?"_ "even if i did they said it was to be something that like is important, or means something. it has to be something special i guess. i just don't really ever think all that much so." mingi played off his low self esteem with a nervous laugh but hongjoong only frowned. he pushed his red hair out of his face and blew the stubborn strand out of his eyes. the older gazed into the fire trying to think of some other suggestion but his mind was drawing a blank. 

the younger removed his eyes from the screen and over at the smaller. he admired his side profile and let himself get distracted by the other's features. he found himself growing less stressed as he gazed at the other but he forced himself to look back at his laptop. he's stressed over paper's and assignments before but he's never had this much trouble even with his awful lack of a sleep schedule and his procrastination. but those were different usually he had to pick from a set of topics or a specific think was given to him. or there were just reading and answering. basic stuff, he made sure to just get the education he needed out of the online courses. but apparently he was looking to fail this one.

 _"hey i don't like that look"_ hongjoong was now facing the younger an accusing look on his face. "sorry...i just-" _"no need to apologize, do you wanna try and nap or something?"_ mingi looked blankly at him clearly confused on the situation. _"i mean, it's one but i don't need to be anywhere. literally ever so you can use me as a pillow if you need."_ mingi seemed nervous about it but tried not to let it show on his face not wanting hongjoong to think he was some _loser_. 

_"come here"_ hongjoong beckoned him over and mingi scooted closer to him. hongjoong sat criss cross applesauce now and removed the blanket so that mingi could cover up with it. "i don't think this will work, i'm telling you i just...can't" _"couldn't hurt to try, and if anything even if you don't sleep you need a break from trying to work on your paper so this will be good"_ mingi nodded knowing the other was right, overworking wasn't going to do anything other than stress him out more. hesitantly mingi layed his head on the shorters lap and hongjoong covered him with the blanket. "you sure you're okay with this-" _"mingi, i mean this in a loving way, but shut up"_ the younger laughed sleepily and just went with it and closed his eyes. 

hongjoong wasn't trying to be overbearing or weird, but the two had grown increasingly close and he cared about the other. the red haired male gently placed a hand in the other's curly hair and ran his fingers through the dark locks. he felt mingi physically relax at his touch, this calmed hongjoong's nerves as well knowing the other was finally relaxing, even if it would only last for a little bit. but nonetheless, it was way better than nothing. "thank you joong" _"joong huh, well if we're doing nicknames then you're welcome cutie"_

 _ **༶•┈┈┈┈┈┈୨♡୧┈┈┈┈┈•༶**_


	4. chapter 4

four days later the two found themselves upside down on the same couch. "joong, i'm losing hope" _"no! not on my watch, i promised you would get this done and you will i believe in you and you should to you dork"_ despite his worries and now overwhelming amount of self doubt mingi laughed and gave a genuine smile. something that always seemed to appear when he was with the older. mingi had been coming there every single night and in all honesty he didn't regret a second of it. sleeping was out of the question so the issue he was starting to get more concerned about was the fact that hongjoong didn't sleep while he was there. "hongjoong, when do _you!_ find time to sleep i'm here sometimes for hours, i keep you up i feel bad." _"no need to worry i find time to rest during the day before my shift late afternoon, plus i do other things to keep me busy."_

hongjoong sipped his regular coffee but choked briefly when he heard mingi slam his laptop shut. the younger placed his head in his hands and took a deep breath. mingi removed his legs from the couch where he was originally stretched out comfortably and sat straight up. hongjoong placed his cup down sensing the other's distress. from the time they have spent together, hongjoong can read mingi like an open book and this was a state he hadn't seen him in yet. being careful hongjoong gently placed his hands on mingi's shoulder's not knowing if he would startle him again. contradicting what he figured would be his reaction the other leaned backwards towards the touch seeking some sort of comfort. the older gently massaged the other's shoulders being gentle but noted how tense he was due to all the stress he had piled onto himself. 

hongjoong heard the other sigh and finally removed his face from his hands. due to his rounder cheeks despite being angled behind him hongjoong could see tear stains on his cheeks. _"awe mingi"_ hongjoong placed his arms around the other arms wrapped around his shoulder and neck area due to the back of the couch. he felt the taller start to shake in his hold, and only held on tighter wanting to protect him. "why is everything so difficult?" it was months worth of stress, lack of sleep, self doubt, pressure, and a whirlwind of negative emotions crashing on him at once. hongjoong moved so he now was squatting in front of mingi to be eye level with him. he cupped his cheeks in his hands and used the pads of his thumbs to brush away any tears that decided to escape the other's eyes. _"i'm right here, okay, look at me"_ mustering up all his care for the other hongjoong put that in his gaze on mingi. _"i'm sticking right by your side okay, i'm not going anywhere. and as long as i'm here i won't let you struggle, at least not on your own."_ mingi felt more tears well in his eyes but this time they definitely weren't the stressful ones.

he reached forward pulling the older into a hug not wanting to let go of him, scared he could be gone in an instant. "you won't leave" _"i promise. you can't get rid of me that easy cutie"_ the nickname caused the taller to bury his face further into hongjoong's shoulder feeling suddenly much more shy. _"i'll be there okay. i'm right here for you... think of me like your..."_ hongjoong lulled over the thought for a moment. _"as your star, it may seem dark but i'm there for you."_

 _ **༶•┈┈┈┈┈┈୨♡୧┈┈┈┈┈•༶**_


	5. Chapter 5

15 days was all mingi had left to do his report and yet the only thing had managed to do was throw off his sleep schedule even more. 

"hongjoong. where are we going?" _"i told you it was a surprise, now hush it"_ mingi huffed, pouting as he crossed his arms over his chest and looking out the passenger window of hongjoong's car. not but five minutes ago hongjoong had shut mingi's laptop and placed it in the backroom saying nothing more than _"get off your cute butt we're going somewhere"_ to which mingi has learned that he absolutely did not want to argue with the older, because he knew he could never win with anything against the other. that and he definitely _didn't blush_ when hongjoong said _"cute butt"_

 _"alright we're here impatient one"_ the taller opened the car stepping out into the cool night air. up ahead there was a blanket laid out on the ground and what appeared to be a picnic basket. _"basic, i know. but you need a break and i haven't seen you eat a proper meal since i've known you and it's nice out tonight. a two for one special"_ the younger laughed. he couldn't even use words to describe how appreciative he was for hongjoong, especially in this moment right now. 

_"well don't stand there you bean stalk"_ mingi blinked out of his head space and realized hongjoong was already sitting down a strawberry in his hand. he made his way over and sat down across from the older picking a strawberry out of the container himself. he savoured the sweet fruit realizing he hadn't really had anything but random junk food he had in his kitchen, takeout, and left over takeout. 

hongjoong gazed off at the night sky, taking in all its beauty, while mingi found himself admiring the older. hongjoong's once very vibrant red hair was faded to a softer almost peach shade, and his dark roots starting to show. without a haircut hongjoong's hair was pulled back into a small ponytail, which mingi had never really given the other's hair much thought other than the fact it almost have him a headache sometimes. but now he found himself truly realizing how attractive the other was. and in his large black t-shirt and gray joggers,hongjoong truly looked like a masterpiece. his eyes were round as he looked up at the sky, if mingi looked close enough he could see the reflection of the whole sky in his eyes. not wanting to get caught mingi looked away and decided to help himself to the food that was graciously prepared for the two to share. 

_"i realized that i wasn't quite sure what you would want so my best bet was pancakes, so breakfast for dinner, hope that's alright"_ "perfect" they smiled as mingi grabbed the containers that rested in the basket and placed them all out opening the lids. _" you were working so hard earlier i had time to sneak out, you really are that unobservant"_ the older chuckled as he pulled out paper plates. "oh ha ha" mingi scrunched his nose at the truthful comment but smiled soon after. "i can't thank you enough honestly, words can't even describe-" _"you never were good with words it seems"_ hongjoong laughed again and earned himself a hit on the head with mingi's plate. _"okay fine no more jokes. but you don't have to thank me, i wanted to do all of this."_ the other was sincere and that didn't help these sudden happy tears to well in his eyes. 

_"if i have to feed you i will"_ mingi snapped his finger's at mingi snapping him out of whatever daydream was going on and the taller grinned. "bet" the shorter smirked clearly entertained by the fact that the younger didn't think that he would. hongjoong reached forward grabbing a strawberry and held it out towards the dark haired boys lips. the taller seemed taken aback at first and his mouth opened and closed, his eyes flickered from the strawberry to hongjoong's cocky face before taking a bite of the fruit clasped between hongjoong's fingers. the two shared eye contact and for a second something seemed to flicker in the older's eyes but mingi brushed that _dumb_ thought away and finished chewing before swallowing and looking away. 

neither spoke while they ate for a few minuted, hongjoong really just wanted mingi to eat properly. he watched the older with adoration and care. for the first time since they met. mingi truly seemed to be stress free. not a care in the world as the two of them sat there and ate under the stars. he wished he could see it more often, but knowing mingi the other wasn't going to rest until his work was done and by the looks of it, it could be a while. and then he remembered that mingi really couldn't _rest_ even if he wanted to. the older had lulled the thought's about it over and over again through out his time with mingi, the other really did try everything. it ate hongjoong alive with the fact that the younger was suffering. and yet he still managed to keep the bright smile on his face and clumsiness and personality stayed in tact. 

what was left of the food was put away along with the plates and silverware. mingi found himself looking at the older again, taking in every feature. those tears of gratitude and happiness welled in his eyes again. _"come here you big baby"_ hongjoong smiled and opened his arms up for the other. once the younger was settled between hongjoong's legs, his back pressed to the shorter's chest, the two relaxed and looked at the stars together. hongjoong kept himself up by leaning his back against the trunk of a tree. his right hand found itself brushing through mingi's dark curly hair, a habit he had begun to embrace recently it seemed. when mingi was writing hongjoong would pass by him and ruffle his hair, or brush it out of his face when he sat across from him and it got in the way. 

hongjoong felt the warmth of mingi's hand find itself entangling their fingers. he looked down at his left hand, that mingi had now holding and fiddling with his fingers. "your hands are so small, it's so cute" _"oh shut it, at least my finger's don't look like over grown green beans"_ "that was a rude and unnecessary insult" their laughter filled the calm night air and the younger found himself realizing how nice it was to be held by the other. yeah they've hugged before but, to be held by hongjoong gave a mingi a sense of comfort he had never had before, he didn't want this feeling to end. 

_**༶•┈┈┈┈┈┈୨♡୧┈┈┈┈┈•༶**_


	6. Chapter 6

"you are the king of surprises aren't you" mingi smiled as hongjoong placed a full plate of homemade food in front of, while pushing his laptop away with his other hand. _"yeah, well get used to it. i'm full of em"_ the older sent him a wink and he sat down across from him with a cup of coffee for himself. _"any bright idea's yet genius"_ "nothing yet captain" _"well, to work we go"_ "aye aye cap!" 

_"i regret telling you to work you've been staring at your screen for an hour now i'm sick of it, watching you is giving me a headache-"_ "THEN JUST GO HOME!" mingi shut his laptop, standing up to leave in the process finally feeling fed up. the older was one step ahead and grabbed the taller by the shoulder. _"no, mingi i told you..."_ hongjoong forced the other to turn and face him. despite mingi's failed attempt to mask the fact that he really didn't want to leave. hongjoong saw through him. _"i told you...i promised you i wouldn't let you struggle alone okay, i just don't like seeing you like this."_ there was a pause mingi gathered his thoughts only finding himself able to look at his sneakers. he didn't mean to yell, or to sound so upset. because the truth was he wasn't angry or upset with hongjoong, he was mad at himself. he was mad at the fact that he couldn't sleep, he was mad at himself that he was so stupid he couldn't write a simple report, he was mad at himself that his state had gotten so thrown out of wack that he had trouble living on his own anymore. 

_"mingi i don't like that look"_ hongjoong cupped the other's face in his hands looking at him intently. mingi finally brought himself to look the older in the eye's but regretted it soon after. all he saw was care and concern from the other. he felt unworthy of it. he didn't deserve hongjoong. _"mingi stop that, i can practically hear you beating yourself up"_ the younger hated that he was simply an open book written specially for hongjoong to read. _"MINGI!"_ the older had never raised his voice, and he certainly never sounded aggressive like he just did. but it seemed to do the trick because mingi broke down, a well needed break down. his emotions became too much for him to bare on his own and hongjoong was gladly there to carry the weight. 

the older held him in his arms letting the other cry into his shoulder. hongjoong himself felt tears well up in his eyes seeing the other so hurt. he hated it. hated every bit of the fact that mingi was dealing with so much. it was all in his head, but the exhaustion was taking a toll on his body as well. the other slouched and when he started to feel tired his hands shook and he bit his lip hoping the small sting would keep him from fainting. it became painful to watch in him in those moments. and it became very much apparent that hongjoong felt much more than worry for the younger. 

_**༶•┈┈┈┈┈┈୨♡୧┈┈┈┈┈•༶** _


	7. Chapter 7

about twenty minutes had passed by and mingi opened his eyes finding himself in a much more comfortable position then what he remembered being in. he went to sit up but immediately stopped feeling a pain in his head. hongjoong shushed him gently and pet his hair, guiding his head back to his lap. _"it's okay, i'm right here"_ "hongjoong i'm so sorry-" _" no apologies mingi, you did nothing wrong"_ mingi looked up at the older focusing on the feeling of hongjoong's nimble finger's brushing through his hair. he swallowed and wiped at his cheeks wanting to rid of any tears that might still be lingering. 

it took a moment for the younger to register but it hit him, he had slept. more like passed out, probably from a mixture of things. exhaustion, overwhelmed... but he wasn't alone this time. hongjoong was right there holding him. comforting him, carrying some of his burden. the soft smell from the scented candles helped bring him back to his senses, but something else lingered with it. the usual baked bread and coffee was there but he smelled vanilla and cinnamon. hongjoong. the older was comforting mingi wanted to curl up into a ball and stay there, right in his arms. _"if you keep thinking that hard cutie you might pass out again"_ the comment made mingi giggle and his eyes turn into little crescents in the process. _"there you are"_ the older smiled back at him moving one of his hands out of his hair to cup his cheek instead. 

the dark haired boy looked away from him to the small familiar fire that brought him warmth countless times. he wanted to stay here, in this moment. in the small candle lit cafe but he wanted hongjoong to go home, and get some well deserved rest. _"i have an idea, it might not work but i think it's definitely worth a shot."_

 _"marvel it is"_ hongjoong placed the disk into the dvd player in the living room of his apartment and took his seat on the couch next to mingi, the younger immediately snuggling up to him and placing his head on his lap. _"if you can't sleep, the chances of me sleeping are just as good so if we end up staying up all night then i'll take the day off tomorrow. i haven't ever missed a day so it'll be perfectly fine."_ "you would do that, i don't wanna cause trouble-" _"i just told you i got it handled"_ the argument went no further because mingi knew better than to tread those waters, he couldn't win against him. 

_"see what'd we learn"_ "that captain marvel is completely useless and completely over powered because they ran out of movie ideas." _"exactly. welcome to amazing adventures of hollywood slowly going down hill. and we the audience get the pleasure of watching it happen...the clownery is unreal."_ mingi's laughter was like a soft song to the older and he was happy to say that he caused it. mingi's smile. it was a beautiful thing that needed to be cherished and protected. hongjoong made it his 'job' to do that. except this job was an enjoyable one, one that he wanted to have. it meant way more to him than any other task he had given himself. "you're looking at me like that again" _"huh"_ "you get this look in your eye when you think, when you look at me and think really hard." _"sorry, got lost in thought i guess"_  
"well stop thinking, we've done a lot of it today." _"yeah no kidding"_

"let's share secrets, i'll go first, when i was younger i ate a run over waffle for fifty cents" _"why would y- you know what, doesn't surprise me i'm unfazed"_ "so you mean to tell me that, me eating road kill waffle doesn't surprise you" _"not at all"_ the younger pouted giving hongjoong a playful punch. _"okay captain what's something stupid you've done"_ the older seemed to have to think about it, as if he couldn't remember doing something idiotic out of context. _" i once used hot sauce instead of ketchup one time, that was pretty gross."_ "oh boooo, you have braincells this is boring." 

someway somehow frozen made its way into the dvd player next but the volume was turned down low, hongjoong focusing more on trying to mingi to sleep. mingi's eyes were closed though obviously not anywhere near asleep. he was tired. so tired. but he couldn't sleep, it was the worst feeling. the familiar sensation of hongjoong brushing though his hair aided how tense he was and caused him to relax more. "i'm sorry i'm just keeping you up" _"mingi if i didn't want to help i wouldn't be doing this."_

half way through the movie mingi almost decided to just get up, ask hongjoong to drive him home, to tell hongjoong to go to sleep. but something held him back from doing so and in a moment the softest sound filled his ears. hongjoong was humming quietly, a song of no words, and no sheet music, nothing written down to go off of. it was just melodic on its own. this was the closest thing to sleep mingi had been in a long time, he almost felt like he could reach out and grab it. _"it's okay mingi, rest, i'm here, everything's okay. go to sleep cutie."_ mingi's eyes already closed seemed to grow heavier somehow. his breathing steadied and his shoulder's relaxed, his body molding itself to hongjoong, who was keeping him warm and _safe._ a gentle smile formed on the smaller's lips as he grabbed an extra blanket from the back of the couch throwing it over himself and the now sleeping boy. 

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	8. Chapter 8

hongjoong's eyes fluttered open and he went to stand up from his bed only, to find that he for one, wasn't in his bed, he was on the couch and two, mingi was sleeping on his lap. mingi was sleeping. the older smiled softly at the other and gently brushed the stray hair's away from his face. the younger's cheeks were puffy and rounder and his lips were pouted lazily. he looked peaceful as he genuinely slept for the first time in a long time. the last thing hongjoong wanted to do was wake the other up but his body was starting to lose feeling, mingi was much larger than him and they hadn't switched positions since about midnight of last night. 

as carefully as he could hongjoong somehow maneuvered his way from the couch without waking the other. he placed a pillow under the other's head and adjusted the blanket's to cover him more. he smiled again at the taller and headed to the kitchen feeling a bit hungry, and knowing mingi, when he woke up he would be starving. that boy could really eat. he grabbed some eggs from the fridge and cracked them into a bowl. he realized he didn't know how mingi liked his eggs, so he played the safe 'scrambled' route. he poured them into the frying pan, moving them around with a spatula. 

mingi blinked some sleep out of his eyes and yawned softly. he stretched his arms over his head, his legs stretching the length of the couch as he did so. the sound of and smell of bacon cooking caused him to stand up and head to the kitchen. mingi padded over and wrapped his arms around hongjoong and placed his face in his neck. _"sleeping beauty is awake i see"_ still in a very sleepy state mingi nodded and nuzzled his nose further into hongjoong's neck. _"the eggs are ready, bacon is almost finished, and toast is in the toaster."_ the sound of food made mingi smile, the smaller almost blushed at the feeling of mingi's lips and smile pressing against his skin. he placed a plate on the counter and gestured to the bar in the middle of the kitchen where two barstools also sat. "you're warm" mingi's grip on the other's waist tightened as he giggled to himself. _"and you can cling to me like a koala later but you need to eat, i know you're hungry"_ mingi groaned and released the other from his hold and he went over and sat at the bar and watched hongjoong finish cooking. 

the older had his hair in a ponytail again, his gray hoodie sleeves were rolled up and he had a black headband keeping the stray hairs out of his face. he placed some eggs and two strips of bacon on a plate along with some toast. he grabbed a strawberry and grape jam, and a jar of applebutter. he placed the plate in front of the taller and the jars as well. he grabbed his own plate and some silverware for the two of them. instead of sitting down however hongjoong stood opposite of mingi and ate there instead. _"so i'm assuming you must feel much better after sleeping for-"_ hongjoong paused and looked over at the stove clock. _"seven and half hours"_ hongjoong grinned at the happy smile on the other's face. "i'm still in that, 'waking up' state but i don't feel exhausted like i normally. it doesn't ache to walk..." mingi trailed off still smiling at the other. hongjoong quirked his head to the side taking it all in. there was something about mingi right now. maybe it was the fact that he sat up a bit straighter, or that his eyes were smiling with him now.

"i don't think i've ever slept that well in my life honestly." they ate in silence for a few minutes before hongjoong finally spoke up. _"i already called in today so we have all day and i'm going to make sure it's stress free and that at the end of the day you sleep."_ mingi blushed and sighed at hongjoong adoringly. "i don't deserve you" _"shut up yes you do. we don't have to go anywhere, we can just stay inside today and relax, i have a play-station i'm sure you can keep occupied."_ "we roblox'n today fellas"

"okay would you rather have to fight one hundred duck sized horses, or one horse sized duck?" _"my concern for your brain cell grows continuously everyday"_ the two placed the controllers to the side and stared at the screen. silently hongjoong picked a pillow up from the ground beside him and flung it at the taller causing him to yell. "don't start a fight you can't finish short stack" _"oh that's original. what are you gonna do about, huh cutie?"_ hongjoong smirked confidently grabbing the controller and shutting of mingi's player two controller. he scrolled through the apps on the screen and finally got to hulu. "awe, so no netflix and chill..." mingi pouted at the other earning another slap from the pillow. "okay, so disney plus and thru-" _"mingi so help me i will lock you in the freezer"_ "you wouldn't" _"oh yeah try me"_ the two had leaned closer a challenging glint in their eyes. _"ratatouille"_ "wait what" _"my favorite disney movie, ratatouille."_ french style music made its way through the tv speakers and hongjoong scooted away and looked to the screen. 

mingi swallowed and kept his gaze on the other, seemingly in trance almost. so close, the two were so close, mingi could feel the other breathing softly and could smell the vanilla and cinnamon. they were so close, one more inch and their lips would hover over each other. mingi forced himself to snap out of the thoughts but his gaze lingered on the older a second longer before he looked to the screen as well. 

"so that rat-" _"is a chef, yes"_ "well that's unsanitary" they chuckled. half way through the cartoon classic the gap between the two grew smaller and mingi's head now rested on hongjoong's shoulder, his knees bent and resting to the left of him. hongjoong kept his back propped against the couch, and he rested his head on top of the younger's. the sun was setting outside and the gray curtains helped dim the bright light flooding through the apartment. the younger was fixated on the movie and didn't feel the other's gaze on him. the soft sunset casted pink rays onto mingi's seemingly perfect face. hongjoong resisted the urge to reach out and press little kisses all over his face, starting with his round cheeks that seem to puff out like marshmallows when he got sleepy. the younger was so precious. "if you stare any harder you won't be able to roll your eye's at me anymore, they'll get stuck in place" mingi never looked away from the screen as he laughed. hongjoong slapped the boy's thigh earning a yelp from the younger. "that hurt!" the smile playing on his lips that he tried to cover with a pout said otherwise.

the movie finished and mingi was hungry. so that's how they found themselves ordering street food to eat. hongjoong tried to pay but when he did mingi quite literally slapped the wallet out of hand. "it also just occurred to me that i never payed for coffee or cheesecake-" _"yes well you also never ordered it either, i brought it to you."_ mingi went to make another argument but found himself speechless. _"you think you would have learned not to argue with me cutie, you'll never win"_ the older sent him a wink and carried the food to a table on the street. dumbstruck mingi followed him.

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	9. Chapter 9

mingi was lying in his bed hongjoong next to him petting his hair gently. the edge of sleep was so close, mingi felt it. every touch hongjoong gave him was comforting and gentle. occasionally soft murmurs of 'it's okay' and 'i'm right here' slipped past the older's lips as he lulled the other to sleep. mingi's hand reached behind him and his fingers found hongjoong's and he intertwined them. hongjoong looked down at their now clasped hands and caressed the back of mingi's hand with his thumb.

hongjoong moved his arm to drape across mingi's waist making sure to keep their hands together. noting how mingi seemed to relax more when he grabbed it a moment ago. mingi's breathing began to get slower and calmer, and he melted more into hongjoong's touch than ever. the smaller hummed gently and brushed away mingi's hair as softly as he could. 

he felt mingi's grip on his land loosen and he leaned forward pressing a light kiss to his temple. _"rest well cutie'_


	10. Chapter 10

it was about three in the afternoon when mingi found himself bored. bored of trying to write, bored of just sitting in silence. bored of being, alone...

he spun around in his desk chair facing his bed where hongjoong had lulled him to sleep the previous night. getting up he grabbed a bunny plush that sat on his bed and held it close to his chest. he sat back in his chair facing the computer and groaned at the blinking cursor. he was no closer to finishing this report than he was three weeks ago. he wanted more than anything to just shut the laptop and say screw it. but he knew couldn't do that. 

he continuously spun around in his chair starting to mentally praise himself for buying a spinny chair. it was simply his best investment. finally just stopping he stared at the wall. he grabbed his phone off the desk to check the time but found himself smiling at his lockscreen. when hongjoong chased him through the apartment with a spoon, mingi video'd it and happened to get a clear screenshot. the two of them laughing with hongjoong hanging off his back both smiling the brightest smile. "3:15" he placed the phone face down on his desk and smiled to himself. 

with this moment to think to himself mingi went back over some of the nights he spent at the cafe. the way hongjoong just seemed to effortlessly know what mingi needed. what words to say, how to comfort him. when to tell him to keep his chin up and shut off the self doubt. when to make him laugh. mingi's smile came without thought when he was with the older. 

the other's coffee seemed to even be more comforting than any other beverage. the cheesecake even seemed to be sweeter and more delicious when it came from hongjoong. feeling defeated he grabbed a book from the bookshelf. maybe something in there could give him an idea. 

mingi should have put the book down ten pages in when he read the words under the stairs. he didn't even know he owned harry potter and the philosophers stone, yet he was half way through it now. all the reading was clearly useless because he couldn't write a report on how neville deserves better than the last name longbottom. he was also feeling kind of drowsy due to the reading which only made him roll off his bed and onto the floor. at ten o'clock pm mingi was indeed lying on his back staring at his ceiling. not thinking. his head was empty. just staring. he took his glasses off and placed as best he could on his nightstand without breaking something. 

he huffed at his ceiling as if that would make him any less bored out of his mind. but something did happen and he almost knocked over his desk grabbing his shoes and hoodie trying his best to run and put them both on. 

hongjoong dropped the mug he was drying when mingi came barreling into the cafe at full speed. he stood in place his mouth opening and closing trying to find words while mingi was catching his breath. _"um...hello."_ "hey!...hold on gimme a sec" hongjoong laughed as he placed his hands on the counter leaning forward a bit. he then grabbed the hair tie off his wrist to tie his hair back mentally telling himself to get more dye, his roots were showing more...and to get some scissors to cut his hair which was growing now. _"you good cutie?"_ mingi held up a finger mouthing 'hold on' hongjoong couldn't hold in his loud laughter anymore and the happy sound filled the empty dimly lit cafe. _"did you seriously run all the way here? are you okay? can i get you something?"_ "i'm...fine...yes....i ran here..." hongjoong gave him a second before ruffling his now sweaty hair. 

"hazelnut" there was a pause and hongjoong raised an eyebrow _"huh"_ "i figured it out! the other thing in the drink, it was hazelnut, i just couldn't figure it out because it blended with the caramel and barely had an aftertaste-" _"you mean to tell me that you ran all...three blocks from your apartment to tell me you figured out the coffee i make you!"_ mingi nodded proudly. _"well what do you want some kind of reward, can i get you a trophy kind sir"_ the pair laughed and when hongjoong looked away he missed what seemed to be a longing glance from mingi. the familiar sound of the espresso machine caused mingi to smile and he walked behind the counter where hongjoong was working. he propped himself up on the counter and watched intently has hongjoong rolled up his hoodie sleeves and stepped on his tiptoes to reach a mug from the cabinet. 

mingi sipped the coffee in silence while hongjoong finished cleaning occasionally throwing in a short joke just to see the other slightly annoyed. the older finally finished and hopped onto the counter next to the taller. "tastes sweeter knowing what it is" mingi laughed taking a long sip from his drink eyeing hongjoong out of the corner of his eyes. _"you seem very proud of yourself for this"_ mingi nodded agreeing with him and jumping off the counter. "and i do. want a reward" hongjoong raised an eyebrow and set his cup down. 

mingi hesitated before standing in front of the older, hongjoong's legs on either side of his waist, but still quite a gap between them. inching closer mingi felt his nerves start to get to his hands clenched at his sides trying not to shake. hongjoong still sitting on the counter had looked at mingi, while the younger looked at his feet while he stepped closer. when the distance was practically closed mingi looked up to meet the other's eyes. the faintest smile tugged at hongjoong's lips as he looked down into the younger's hooded eyes. the older somehow seemed to sense the other's nerves and reached down taking the other's shaking hands in his own. mingi had looked away almost as soon as they made eye contact, he swallowed nervously looking at the cafe tables and candles instead of at the red haired male. his hands stop shaking in the hold of the other's and mustered the courage to look at hongjoong. not his eyes or his face but he looked straight ahead, around the other's collarbone. 

hongjoong looked down at the other. his face was soft and the smile on his face small. gently he let go of the other's hand and used his index finger to cup under mingi's chin and tilt his face up to look at him. mingi looked out the corner of his eyes away from him despite hongjoong's small attempt. _"hey"_ hongjoong's small voice was barely above a whisper but it caught mingi's attention and he forced himself to meet eyes with the older. hongjoong looked to the other letting his smile grow a bit to comfort him. _"it's okay"_ his finger still under mingi's chin guided the younger forward closer to him. he stopped when there was only a breathe between them. he saw mingi take a nervous swallow again, and he closed his eyes closing the gap between them completely. 

the kiss was soft not much to it and was over in about a second. mingi let go of hongjoong's hands as he placed them on his waist. the two leaned in again this time putting more of their emotion into it. hongjoong really trying to show mingi how much he cared for him. he removed the taller's hood so he could more freely tangle his finger's in his dark curly hair. 

their lips seemed to fit perfectly together while their heartstrings seemed to tangle and intertwine. mingi brushed the pads of his thumbs over the older's cheeks as they continued to kiss. hongjoong took the lead sensing mingi's nerves still, but as time passed,seemingly slow. the other relaxed in his touch and seemingly melted. hongjoong moved away from the other's lips so he could kiss his cheeks, then the other, both his eye lids, forehead, chin, every where he could on the other's face he peppered with small kisses. he finished by pecking the tip of his nose and resting their foreheads together. 

their breathing was quite heavy and mingi kept his eyes closed, taking in what just happened. the older continued to brush through his hair in a calming manner. mingi found himself blushing and he opened his eyes to look at the other after a minute or two. hongjoong released the taller's dark hair from his grip but cupped his face in his hands instead finally understanding the emotion that had been swimming in his own eyes for the younger. love.

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	11. Chapter 11

_"by reward i genuinely thought you, and your child like self actually wanted a trophy."_ hongjoong let go of the other's lips to giggle to himself before pecking the younger on the nose. "i'm not a child" he pouted only proving the other even more correct and getting a kiss on his pouted lips in return. noting the other's reaction to it mingi grinned. 

the two held hands and mingi placed his forehead on hongjoong's chest. the older had wrapped his legs around the taller's waist, still seated on the counter and liking the fact that he could reach mingi's fluffy hair much easier this way. they stayed like that for a couple minuted just taking in the other like they never had. mingi kept his arms wrapped around the other, his head on his chest, listening to the other's heartbeat. _"i can practically hear you thinking. what's going on in that head of yours cutie?"_

mingi smiled into the older's chest not really having a proper answer. he was feeling a lot of things. a lot of good things. "you" the younger answered softly. _"awe you big ol babie"_

"so are thing's going to be like awkward now or?" the pair laughed and hongjoong shook his head. _"well you're always gonna be awkward but us...no i don't think so, we weren't ever awkward...were we?"_ hongjoong thought on it for a moment before laughing. _"well that second night-"_ "alright we don't need to talk about my puppy lovesick self" mingi giggled hugging the other tighter. _"lovesick huh?"_ mingi froze and his mouth formed an o shape. "s-sorry i didn't want to make you-" hongjoong cupped the other's cheeks and forced their eyes to meet. _"mingi, it's okay. no mingi look at me. mingi...good. now don't apologize for saying that, please. mingi i...i love you too"_ the taller felt little tears well in the corners of his eyes as he smiled softly. he couldn't help himself and he leaned forward to kiss the red headed male again. 

it wasn't heated, nothing of the sort. soft and sweet driven by love. the small tear slipped down mingi's cheek as he grinned. they pulled apart but not without hongjoong cheekily biting the other's bottom lip. a moment of silence passed but mingi's eyes widened slightly and his mouth dropped open. _"mingi-"_ "THAT'S IT!" _"what,what's it mingi slow down!"_ mingi cupped the older's faced quickly pressing a deep kiss to his lips,hongjoong out of shock and unexpectedness, simply sat there. "YOU'RE THE ANSWER! I CAN'T BELIEVE I'VE BEEN THIS BLIND" mingi was already grabbing his glasses off the counter and running to the door. _"MINGI WHERE ARE YOU- MINGI!"_ the other was already way out the door running into the night leaving hongjoong standing there in a daze. 

___

throwing the door to his apartment open mingi quickly shut it behind him and kicked his shoes off, sending them flying to somewhere in the living room, one may have landed in the kitchen but he didn't worry about it as he sped to his room. not even taking his coat off mingi sat down at his desk and opened his laptop. 

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	12. Chapter 12

hongjoong hadn't seen mingi since he ran out at 12:30, that technically morning. he was in a way worried but something told him the other was fine. whatever he was doing. he still tried to process what the other was talking about. _answer, blind._ he was confused no doubt but he decided that whatever mingi's was doing all day he stopped himself from driving over there. which was surprisingly harder than he thought.

at closing time the cafe was empty as hongjoong did his usual cleaning and such. making sure to leave the front door unlocked for mingi out of habit. 

another five minutes or so pass when a familiar sound of heavy running footsteps approaches. hongjoong didn't have to look up from the sink to know mingi had just run in. _"you had me worried! are you crazy!"_ "yes...but...not...the...point-" the other being out of breath told hongjoong he had run again. he filled a glass with water and slid it over the counter. hongjoong finally looked away from the sink to mingi who slammed a thin packet on the counter. the older jumped and looked to mingi for permission to read it. _"what is this?"_ "my report" hongjoong's eyes grew bigger with curiosity and he brushed some fading red, now pink looking, hair away from his eyes. _"you finished it? you spent all day-"_ "yes, and i didn't realize how much i had to say until i wrote way over one thousand words." _"how many did you write?"_ "about four thousand i think" hongjoong let a proud smile grace his lips as the younger looked proud of himself. an expression the older had never seen him wear. it was an attractive one. 

"go ahead, read it" hongjoong smiled as he pulled his hair back into a ponytail to keep it from getting in his eyes anymore and he wandered over to the couch and took a seat, mingi following soon after laying his head on the smaller's lap. hongjoong scanned over the first page briefly before reading the first paragraph. only a few sentences in hongjoong felt a bit emotional, and when he finally got to the last paragraph that tear escaped and slipped down his cheek. mingi had written about love, what it meant to him, how important it was, what it did for him, why people crave it. that's what he meant by answer. the love him and hongjoong shared, was something he understand and held dear to him. 

_"mingi..."_ the older was truly at a loss for words as he set the paper to the side pulling the younger up so he could hug the life out of him. _"i'm proud of you mingi, gosh you worked so hard, it tore me apart seeing you like that i-"_ he took a breath releasing his hold as to not strangle the other, settling for holding his face in his hands instead looking him in the eyes. _"mingi you are some treasure, you know that? everything you did to light up a room is effortless, your existence just shined this light. mingi you waltzed into my life at two am on a wednesday"_ he took a brief moment to giggle before continuing. _"and now i can help you through everything else that comes your way. but i won't wipe your tears away, i'll kiss them away and tell you it's alright. i can love you until it hurts for all i care. you better not let anyone tell you that you are anything short of precious mingi, you got that? i just happen to be lucky enough to get to spoil you, and cherish you."_ mingi didn't even stop the few tears that slid down those cheeks hongjoong had spoke of and just like he said, he didn't use his thumbs to rid of them. he leaned forward pressing chaste kisses to each tear until they went away. 

the younger had so much to say. however to hongjoong, the older was aware of what every single word in that paper meant. he read between every line and understood. in that moment mingi realized he had never actually said 'i love you' hongjoong read him like an open book, like he usually does and caught his words slip. "i love you so much, i can't even begin to express how thankful i am for you joong" mingi's head had found the other's shoulder and he placed a gentle kiss to the older's neck and snuggled closer. _"i love you too cutie"_

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	13. Chapter 13

mingi had passed the final of his class and to celebrate hongjoong had taken him out on their first official date. the polaroids from that night were hung on the lights on mingi's wall above his desk. his little 'motivation' so to speak whenever he was starting to feel stressed. the younger in the mean time realized how much he enjoyed reading and did it more often, he also discovered that it was a nice way to calm down. he didn't want to bother hongjoong all the time. mingi heard the door to his apartment open and looked at the clock. ten o'clock, the exact hongjoong got home now that all those late nights they spent together could be spent in the comfort of one of their homes. he still cleaned and locked up but the drive was all of about five minutes, which both of them were grateful for. 

hongjoong knocked softly on mingi's open door making his presence known as not to startle the other, though he did enjoy the other's cute reactions when he did. the older wrapped his arms around the taller from behind and leaned his weight on the back of his desk chair. mingi's closed his book and placed a gentle kiss on the back of hongjoong's hand before spinning around to face the other. hongjoong leaned down to press a kiss to the other's lips and he sighed feeling sort of sleepy. but he also had been pushing off fixing his hair for a while and he knew if he didn't do it now while it was on his mind he wouldn't ever do it, so he released the other saying he would order some takeout and headed to the bathroom. 

the older practically lived at mingi's apartment at this point, having finally just started staying over instead of leaving when mingi had fallen asleep. they both found that the two of them sleep much better together. limbs tangled and cuddled together. 

mingi stretched his arms above his head and stood up wanting to see where the smaller had went. "WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING!?" mingi slapped the scissors out of the smaller's hand almost causing them to fall on his foot. _"I COULD ASK YOU THE SAME QUESTION"_ "WHY WOULD YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT TOUCHING YOUR HAIR? YOU KNOW WHAT I WON'T ALLOW IT!" mingi grabbed the red dye and the scissors and tossed them in the trash. confused and quite shocked at the younger's outburst hongjoong through his hands up. _"what is your deal!"_ mingi didn't answer, already blushing and heading to the living room, thinking if the tv was on the other wouldn't question his motives further. 

a knowing smirk settled on the older's face as he rested his arms on the back of the couch, his head next to mingi's. _"cutie, that dye was expensive why'd you do that?"_ the smaller had a hunch, well, he was almost one hundred percent sure of the reason, but he wanted to hear the latter say it. he nibbled the younger's ear gently before placing a kiss to his neck, working his way down to his shoulder's. _"just tell me, use your words cutie"_ mingi practically gulped and his eyes darted everywhere in the room trying to find a solid way to get out of the situation. his mind blanked when the older pushed away his t-shirt so he could nip at his collar bone. _"don't be shy cutie"_ "okay it's hot, your long hair is hot, especially when you pull it back, now will you let me breath" _"there. was that so hard baby"_ mingi flushed at the new pet name and practically shrank into the couch. hongjoong trailed kisses up the other's neck once more before finally stopping to press a gentle peck on his cheek.

as the older walked away mingi watched and then averted his gaze suddenly feeling small despite his height. suddenly the other's small waist was brought to his attention and he shook his head feeling embarrassed. 

the take out boxes were now empty and thrown away, the two cuddled on _their_ bed. a movie playing on the older's laptop however neither seemed to want to pay that much attention to guardians of the galaxy at the moment. mingi had tried to brush off the soft butterfly kisses the older gave him, but he couldn't ignore them and how he wanted more of them, but of course he was shy and didn't ask, or show how they made him feel. and that would have been fine if hongjoong wasn't so observant. the older had placed a hand underneath mingi's t-shirt to rest on his stomach and the other played with his dark hair. easily on of his favorite things to do. 

the younger had sent glances to the older making sure he was paying attention to the movie and not his blushing cheeks or nervous face. but suddenly feeling brave mingi shifted his position so he was facing the shorter and due to hongjoong's shirt being oversized it slipped off his shoulder leaving his collarbone and shoulder exposed. mingi placed a small kiss to the other's shoulder at first playing it off as an innocent gesture. but he nipped at the other's skin as he moved closer to his collar bone. hongjoong's soft tug on his hair told him his action's weren't being unnoticed as the older's face tried to say they were. experimenting mingi sucked gently where his neck and shoulder met, and felt the other tangle his finger's in his hair rather than gently stroke though it. he almost let a grin form on his lips but continued playing gentle. a few more kisses were placed and mingi nibbled on the other's ear lobe, letting the faintest of smiles quirk at his lips. _"don't start something you can't finish cutie"_ hongjoong hadn't looked away from the screen but his facial expression had hardened and his eyes seemed to be trying to see something other than the movie. 

"try me love" _"i don't think you know what you're saying there, deary"_ the older had flipped the position they were in, the movie completely forgotten, hongjoong hovering over the younger, his hair let loose of the elastic that usually kept it out of his face. mingi savored the sight before grinning cheekily. that grin letting hongjoong know everything he needed to. 

___ 

one am. mingi opened his eyes softly and melted into the heat source, that being of hongjoong to which was spooning him. he faced the other, and wrapped his arms around his waist, sliding down in the process so he could bury his face in the shorter's bare chest. _"mingi, go to sleep cutie i'm right here okay."_ hongjoong clasped their hands together and the younger smiled in his sleepy state before nodding. he shut his eyes holding on to the older protectively and making himself feel like a koala. "i love you joong" _"i love you too cutie"_

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